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Tottenham Hotspur have discovered how much it will cost to sign Pedro Porro in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by The Evening Standard, Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim revealed that, following a number of reports linking Spurs with a move for the 23-year-old right-back this winter, the Liga Portugal side would only be willing to part with the defender in January if a club were to meet his €45m (£40m) release clause.

Regarding the reported interest in the Spain international, the 37-year-old coach said: “With regard to Pedro Porro, we know that there are players in our team who, because of what they have done, are now wanted by other clubs.

“We had this problem in the summer too. What I was told is that he can only leave if the clause is triggered. And if the clause is triggered, there is nothing we can do.

“He is playing really well. Like me, he is living one of the best moments of his career and he is only focused on Sporting. We are prepared for anything and we know that there are clubs who can pay the clause. But, until that happens, I think Pedro is safe.”

Paratici must move

Considering just how impressive Porro has been for Sporting in recent seasons, coupled with Antonio Conte reported to be looking to sign a new right-back in the January transfer window, the argument that Fabio Paratici simply must match the defender’s £40m release clause this winter is an extremely easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 23 Liga Portugal appearances in 2021/22, the £22m-rated talent was in electric form going forwards, scoring four goals, registering four assists and creating 11 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.6 shots, making 2.0 key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.

The £10k-per-week full-back also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.8 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, one clearance and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per fixture.

These returns saw the 23-year-old – who former Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas dubbed “different class” live on BT Sport earlier this season – average an astonishing Sofascore match rating of 7.28, not only ranking him as Amorim’s second-best performer in the league but also as the 12th-best player in the top-flight of Portuguese football as a whole.

The Spaniard has been in similarly fine form over 10 league outings in the current campaign, having already provided four assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 2.2 key passes, 1.4 interceptions and completing 1.1 dribbles per match.

These metrics have seen the former Manchester City starlet average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.11, currently ranking him as Sporting’s fifth-best player in Liga Portugal.

As such, with Porro quite clearly being a right-back who is equally dangerous going forward as he is solid at the back, it would indeed appear as the Sporting sensation would make an exceptional addition to Conte’s current options at the back – leading us to believe that Paratici simply must launch a bid for the 23-year-old in January.

Newcastle United make the trip to Yorkshire this evening to visit Sheffield Wednesday in their FA Cup third round clash, and Eddie Howe will be hoping that his team can comfortably secure progression into the next stage of the competition.

The Magpies are currently third in the Premier League after a phenomenal run of form in their first 18 games, although delivering a trophy at St James’ Park would be historic for the club, as they have failed to win a major domestic trophy since 1955.

Capitalising on that fantastic form could be Howe’s golden opportunity to become the first manager in almost seven decades to bring major silverware to Tyneside, so the clash against Sheffield Wednesday will be important to the former Bournemouth boss, who will likely field a strong line-up.

Having said that, the fixture against the League One side could be a great opportunity for the Magpies manager to give some of the first-teamers a rest ahead of the return to action in the Premier League against Fulham next week and hand starting appearances to those rarely seen in the squad.

One player that Howe should unleash against the Owls is out-of-favour left-back Jamal Lewis, who can come in to replace Dan Burn on the left flank.

The 24-year-old has only made two appearances for Newcastle this season – one in the Premier League and another in the Carabao Cup – tallying just 51 minutes of game-time, so today could be the perfect chance to give him a runout.

In his 45-minute appearance against Tranmere Rovers in the Carabao Cup, the £38k-per-week talent – who was dubbed “magic” by his former Norwich boss Daniel Farke – tallied an 84% pass accuracy, made 35 touches and won one tackle and one duel during his time on the pitch.

Howe spoke out about Lewis’ future at the club in his pre-match press conference on Friday ahead of this game, saying: “He’s trained very well and become accustomed to our principles of play.

“He’s done a lot of work behind the scenes. I’d back him to produce some very good performances for us now, if given the opportunity. For me, there’s never been a doubt about the quality of player. He’s a player we really like.”

“You get these situations with players. There’s never one situation that suits everybody – there’s the team’s needs and his needs. But fundamental to it is that we like him as a player and want his career to develop. Hopefully, he can achieve everything he wants to here.”

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Howe to give Lewis the nod in his starting line-up at Hillsborough today and ultimately grant Burn a well-deserved rest along with a few others to ensure that the team can continue to compete at the highest level over the remainder of the season.

Manchester United have been in sensational form under manager Erik ten Hag since a spluttering start to the season, having clinched victory across the past eight successive matches, but further additions are still integral to the team’s success…

Despite the discernible increase in both form and performance, with United indeed fourth in the Premier League and still competing for silverware across every front, Ten Hag is set on supplementing the recent efforts with an injection of further quality.

And according to talkSPORT, the Red Devils are poised to enter a transfer battle with Chelsea to secure the signature of Southampton’s flourishing right-back Kyle Walker-Peters, who has impressed following his initial loan move from Tottenham Hotspur, since signing on a permanent £12m deal.

With the English ace reportedly rejecting Saints’ wishes for a new contract to secure his future at St. Mary’s for the coming years, the pathway is now illuminated for a move to a European-challenging outfit…

Forget Dumfries…

The right-sided full-back position has been one of great interest to United’s Dutch manager, who is certainly fixated on bolstering the club with signings that can lead the ascension back towards major honours once again, with the Theatre of Dreams last tasting silverware in the Europa League in 2017, when United beat Ajax Amsterdam 2-0 in the final.

Diogo Dalot has certainly come into his own down the right flank after making a steady rise following his £19m move from FC Porto in 2019, but Walker-Peters could hold the key to maximising the competitive contest for the No. 1 spot in the side, consequently raising the game of both individuals.

The Red Devils’ other right-back option, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, has failed to stake his claim to a starting berth following his £50m move from Crystal Palace in 2019, now shackled to the bench with regularity under Ten Hag, making only six appearances all season, albeit having started the past three Premier League fixtures.

Regardless, Walker-Peters has been a pillar of strength in a Saints outfit that are desperately trying to stave off the threat of relegation this season, having won just three league games all season and now confined to the bottom spot.

The 25-year-old has made 17 appearances across all competitions this season, scoring one goal, and has impressed with his defensive pedigree and offensive aptitude, averaging 0.4 shots per game, 0.7 key passes, making 1.7 tackles and 1.4 clearances.

Should the Red Devils forge a transfer, it might prove to be a prudent move in the grand scheme, with Premier League experience and a rounded arsenal leaving Walker-Peters well-placed to slot right into the fold and boost the side’s chances of returning to the forefront of European football.

His signature would be far better than that of Denzel Dumfries, with Old Trafford touting the Inter Milan ace as another potential avenue this winter.

One Spanish source has reported that the Dutch sensation would require a bid of roughly €55m (£48m) for his signature, and while he is an offensive whiz down the right border, this could be a ludicrous fee to pay for a player that might fail to usurp Dalot’s throne.

In the £18m-rated Walker-Peters, a much more affordable and sensible deal could be struck, one that would promote healthy competition and leave United with a “big talent” – as once dubbed by journalist Alex Crook – to continue the meteoric rise after years of instability.

Manchester City are slowly gaining ground on Premier League leaders Arsenal, sitting just five points behind the north London side and the title race looks like it could be another interesting battle this season.

With the transfer window in full swing, Pep Guardiola will be potentially eyeing up a deal or two in order to strengthen their squad ahead of a crucial few months ahead.

One position which City have struggled with this term is the left back spot, with Joao Cancelo, Nathan Ake, and Sergio Gomez all featuring there with mixed success.

As a result, recent reports have linked the club with Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy, who has yet to sign a new deal with the La Liga giants.

A potential transfer is suggested to cost something similar to the £47m fee Madrid paid to Lyon back in 2019, something that shouldn’t represent a problem for the vast City coffers.

Guardiola could also get an added bonus by the simple fact that Mendy is statistically similar to right-back Kyle Walker, who has had tremendous success at the club during his five-and-a-half-year spell.

According to FBref, the Englishman is the seventh-most similar player to Mendy across Europe’s top five leagues, and given how impressive Walker has been at City under Guardiola, he might be able to repeat the process, albeit on the opposite flank.

This season has seen the two full-backs register extremely similar statistics when it comes to pass success rate (92% to 89.2%), shot-creating actions per match (2.26 to 1.49), goal-creating actions (two to one) and aerial duels won (both seven).

Mendy could bring an elite mentality to the City squad, not only does he excel in traits Guardiola desires such as passing and dribbling, but he knows how to win at the top level, having won two La Liga titles and a Champions League trophy during his spell at Madrid.

Ex-teammate Raphael Varane labelled him “amazing” when they played together for Los Blancos and he could fit in very well at City.

It is a testament to just how well Guardiola’s side have played this term while using both a centre-back and right-back on the left flank and signing Mendy would solve this problem while adding in a player who is very similar to Walker, another bonus.

Arsenal could look to bring in a midfielder this month as well as the Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhailo Mudryk, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

What’s the latest?

It is believed the Gunners have made it their mission to bring in Mudryk this month with the likes of Chelsea also being linked to the Ukrainian.

However, Mikel Arteta’s side are yet to make a breakthrough in their pursuit of the 23-year-old who recently took off for a training camp in Turkey with Shakhtar.

But it now appears as if the potential addition of Mudryk may not be enough for Arteta who is chasing his first-ever Premier League title as a manager this season.

indeed, when speaking to Football FanCast, O’Rourke suggested there could be scope for the Gunners to also explore the possibility of bringing in another midfielder:

“I think there is scope for that to happen. Mikel Arteta has made it pretty clear that he would like another midfielder to be added to his squad to help them in their Premier League title bid.

“Again, it will all come down to budget and what’s available and if the right deal is out there, I’m sure Edu and the Arsenal board will back Mikela Arteta because they have been quite successful in the transfer market of late.”

Making moves whilst ahead

It has been a stunning start to the season for Arsenal who sit top of the Premier League table and hold a five-point advantage over their nearest rivals, Manchester City.

However, there is still a long way to go and Arsenal do still have to play City twice before the end of the campaign, so it seems as if Edu Gaspar and the Arsenal owners are looking to strike this month whilst the iron is hot.

And in doing so, they could potentially bring in one of the hottest young talents from across Europe in Mudryk but it is interesting to hear O’Rourke suggest Areta could still push for another midfielder.

The Gunners have seen a solid partnership form between Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey this season but the Ghanaian midfielder does have a long injury list since he made the move to north London.

And there does seem to be a fairly large drop-off in class to Arteta’s next in line with Mohamed Elneny the likely replacement for either if they were to go down injured.

The Egyptian has made five appearances this season in the Premier League under Arteta, however, the 30-year-old’s stats from last season where he made 14 appearances, do not stand up in comparison to the starting midfielder duo.

Elneny provided fewer shot-creating actions, fewer ariel duels won and fewer goals to what Xhaka and Partey have provided Arteta this season (via Fbref).

With this in mind, it would be understandable to see Arteta bring in another midfielder who could provide Arsenal with some attacking thrust.

And with links to Youri Tielemans still circulating, we do wonder whether this type of midfielder could appeal to the north London side in the final weeks of this winter window.

Newcastle United are thought to be keen on signing Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin this month, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Wood’s pending exit?

It looks as if the Magpies are about to move on one of their three senior central attacking options in Chris Wood. The 31-year-old could be set to sign for Nottingham Forest after an initial loan deal was agreed upon between the two clubs on Thursday.

That will leave Eddie Howe with Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak, but it appears as if the club may look to replace Wood with Calvert-Lewin.

The Latest: Calvert-Lewin interest

The Sun shared a story on Thursday regarding Newcastle and Calvert-Lewin. They claimed that Howe is eyeing a £35m move for the Toffees forward, with Everton bracing themselves for offers.

The report adds that Newcastle ‘want the 25-year-old this month but would be willing to wait until the summer if a deal can’t be reached.’

The Verdict: A risk?

Calvert-Lewin, sponsored by Nike, has endured a number of injury problems over the last 18 months, so you could say that a potential big-money transfer may well be a gamble.

The striker has made just 26 Premier League appearances since the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign, spending time on the sidelines with toe and knee injuries.

Wilson and Isak have also had their respective hamstring injury issues in recent months, but it looks as if Howe and Newcastle may make their move for Calvert-Lewin regardless of his fitness struggles.

West Ham are planning on signing two players to replace the potentially outgoing Declan Rice this summer, transfer expert Dean Jones has claimed.

The Lowdown: Rice leaving this summer?

The midfielder has become a colossal figure for the Hammers in recent years, dominating midfield battles and averaging 2.3 tackles per game in the Premier League this season.

There is an increasing feeling that Rice could be set for a new challenge at the end of the season, however, with some of the country’s biggest clubs reportedly eyeing him up and the player admitting he fancies Champions League football.

West Ham would likely receive huge money for the 24-year-old’s services and they would need to spend it wisely on finding a tailor-made replacement for him.

The Latest: Two midfielders wanted

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that the Hammers could want to sign two midfielders to fill the void left by Rice, rather than just Manchester United’s Scott McTominay, who has been linked recently:

“I don’t think they see McTominay as a Rice replacement because, from what I’m told, they think they’re going to need two players to replace Declan Rice. That’s part of the work that’s being done behind the scenes.”

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The Verdict: Huge boots to fill

Rice could be a monumental loss for West Ham, with the England international maturing into a genuine world-class player for club and country, hailed as ‘superb’ by midfield great Steven Gerrard.

It is hard to begrudge him a massive move elsewhere, however, with the £60,000-a-week hero someone who deserves to be playing Champions League football and battling for major honours.

In terms of Rice’s replacement, McTominay could certainly be a strong option, having fallen out of favour at United but still averaging three tackles per match in the EFL Cup this season, possessing similar levels of physicality and drive.

The Scot won’t plug the void on his own, however, as Jones alludes to, and the vast money likely to be received for Rice needs to be spent on an extra top-quality option, too, such as the Hammers-linked Moises Caicedo.

It may come as either a source of delight or frustration to Manchester United supporters, although it looks as if the Frenkie de Jong saga could well have a new chapter, with the Barcelona sensation having yet again been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old was mooted for a reunion with his former boss Erik ten Hag throughout the entirety of the summer transfer window, with reports back in May having suggested that the Netherlands international would be a top target for the Red Devils to help strengthen the midfield.

Despite reportedly agreeing a fee of around €85m (£75m) with the Catalan outfit, the United hierarchy were ultimately unable to get a deal over the line, with the issues over the player’s deferred wages and his apparent reluctance to leave Camp Nou having seemingly been major obstacles in preventing the switch.

As it proved, the debacle at Brentford seemingly sparked a change in tact for Ten Hag and co as the club swiftly wrapped up the signing of a more defensive-minded asset in Casemiro, with the Brazilian having joined on a £70m deal from Spain’s other leading side, Real Madrid.

The latest suggestion is, however, that the Premier League giants could now partner the Brazilian with De Jong ahead of next season, with The Athletic’s Andy Mitten writing last month that the club still hold an interest in the 5 foot 11 maestro.

Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst more recently revealed that Ten Hag is ‘open’ to making another move for his former Ajax asset this summer, with the centre of midfield still seemingly an area of concern for the club, with the likes of Christian Eriksen, Fred, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro all taking on a heavy workload due to the lack of quality depth.

In the latter man, United already possess a “phenomenal” asset – as described by teammate Harry Maguire – who has quickly become something of a cult hero at the Theatre of Dreams, with the 30-year-old notably the “cement” in the side at the base of the midfield, as per his manager.

The experienced colossus has particularly impressed due to his ball-winning prowess as he ranks fourth in the division for tackles made (53), although he has also left club legend Paul Scholes “surprised” due to his “range of passing”, with the five-time Champions League winner notably creating five big chances in the top-flight this term.

To be able to partner the composed and cultured powerhouse with the “majestic” figure of De Jong – as lauded by journalist Muhammad Butt – could well prove a match made in heaven, with the Barca ace also offering that undoubted brilliance on the ball.

The “generational genius” – according to Butt – ranks in the top 7% in Europe among those in his position for pass completion, while also helping to initiate attacks from his midfield berth as he ranks in the top 14% for progressive passes – with Casemiro also ranking highly in that latter metric (top 17%).

While De Jong may not be the man to win back possession, as he ranks in the bottom 18% for tackles made, that job can be handed to the Brazilian – who ranks in the top 5% in that regard – allowing the former Willem II man the freedom to take on a more creative role as a deep-lying playmaker.

Arguably one of the Dutchman’s most eye-catching traits is his knack for producing penetrating, driving runs into the final third, showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 13% for dribbles completed, with the Red Devils currently lacking such an asset as the aforementioned Eriksen ranks in just the bottom 21% for that same metric.

As such, Casemiro could well provide that solid, tough-tackling foundation in front of the back four, with De Jong offering a potentially offering a more inventive and probing attacking quality alongside him.

Although there will be few getting their hopes up just yet of seeing that partnership in United’s midfield next season, it could well prove a duo that is the envy of their top-flight rivals.

Newcastle United made a late inquiry to Manchester United to check on the availability of their midfielder Scott McTominay ahead of deadline day.

What’s the latest?

The Toon are going into deadline day with just one January deal over the line in Anthony Gordon but it does seem as if they are still targeting some late moves.

And a potential midfield option could well be high up on that list with their veteran midfielder, Jonjo Shelvey, set to leave the club over the coming hours for Nottingham Forest.

One of the names to be heavily linked with a potential move to St. James’ Park in these final hours is the Sheffield united ace Sander Berge.

However, speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, journalist Graeme Bailey has suggested the Magpies have enquired over the availability of McTominay – albeit an unsuccessful enquiry:

(27:50) “Newcastle again inquired about McTominay, again just double-checking and you meant that didn’t you? He’s definitely not available? Okay, thanks. We’ll be back in the summer.

“So they were just double-checking McTominay wasn’t around because again he would have been a nice loan for them, perfect to come in.”

Could have landed a gem

With Shelvey headed for a future away from Newcastle, Eddie Howe’s midfield will lose an awful lot of experience in the middle of the park.

Although McTominay is still just 26-years-old, he is a player with vast experience for the Red Devils with 194 appearances across all competitions (via Transfermarkt).

And it is to little surprise that United would be unwilling to offload the Scotsman at this stage of the transfer window with the midfielder still playing an important squad role.

However, his role over the last year has seen a change with the arrivals of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen seeing his starts in the United side reduced with just seven in the league this season.

But with the Brazilian suspended for their previous outing against Arsenal, it was the 26-year-old who Erik ten Hag called upon to fill in for the experienced midfielder.

And given the midfielder ranks in the top one percentile for clearances as well as the upper sixth percentile for ariel duels won, he could have proven a solid defensive midfield addition to Eddie Howe’s side (via Fbref).

Although it seems a deal this month is off the cards, it was interesting to hear Bailey suggest they will be back in the summer for the midfielder.

Arsenal transfer target Moises Caicedo has travelled to London today amid interest from the Gunners and Chelsea, according to journalist Jacque Talbot.

The Lowdown: Conflicting reports

Talbot reported this morning that a deal had been agreed for the Ecuador midfielder, with the Gunners prepared to break their club-record transfer fee to land him, but there were subsequent indications that a move is not as close as it first seemed.

Jim White has claimed that Brighton & Hove Albion’s stance is unchanged and that a third bid has not been lodged by Arsenal, who have agreed a deal for another central midfielder in Jorginho.

The Latest: Deal still on?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT about the potential deal, Talbot offered a new update on the status of the Arsenal transfer target.

He said in relation to Caicedo: “I’ve heard that he’s traveled to London on deadline day – he’s in London. Obviously it’s been briefed elsewhere, and especially to Brighton reporters, that there’s no deal in place. That’s not our information. We’re aware of that but it’s not what I’ve heard.”

The Verdict: Make it happen

While Jorginho arriving for £12m is a very astute piece of business, Mikel Arteta could still do with a long-term prospect in the engine room given that his midfield is aging, with Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka both set to be past their 30th birthdays by the time next season commences.

Caicedo has been hailed as a ‘brilliant footballer’ by journalist Tom Barnes and he has been absolutely indispensable for Brighton this season. He ranks among their five best-performing Premier League players by SofaScore largely due to his ‘tenacious’ tackles (in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig), making more than any other Brighton player.

That the Ecuadorian appears to be gunning for the move should stand Arsenal in good stead, with the player recently taking to Twitter to say that he wants to take up the ‘magnificent opportunity’ to leave the south coast, and the objective will now be to get a deal over the line before the transfer window slams shut at 11pm tonight.